The proportion of pupils who passed grade nine with achieved knowledge requirements in all subjects across the country was 75.5 percent during the academic year 2018/2019. In Vingåker, the share was 44.7 percent. It is the lowest level of knowledge in the entire country. And Vingåker has had poor knowledge results for several years.

In May 2018, the National Agency for Education stepped into the municipality of Vingåkers and the Castle School to bring about a change.

Problems with management and management

During the first year, the assistance consisted of doing an analysis together with the municipality to find causes for low results and what you need to address specifically. The analysis found that Vingåkers municipality had problems with governance and management.

- It is not wrong for some people without having changed leaders quite often in Vingåkers municipality. You need a long-term view and I hope that the principals and teachers would stay in their places for at least three years, actually five years, says Ing-Marie Frössevi (C), chair of the children's and education board.

- In addition, the administration and I have also concluded that it has not been possible to implement the new grading criteria and curriculum that came in 2011, she says.

The efforts will lead to higher results

Now that the analysis is done, the National Agency for Education offers support to both Vingåkers municipality and the Castle School. It is about the municipality receiving guidance and training in management management and systematic quality work. At the same time, the headmaster at the Palace School is trained to lead the development work at the school. Teachers are also given customized training in leading collegiate learning.

The hope with the project, which will continue until the summer of 2021, is that one must achieve better equality within and between schools and achieve higher knowledge results. At the same time, the National Agency for Education wants to build the school's and the principal's results. Detecting and addressing problems before it hits students.

- We think we manage to gain an understanding and shared dialogue and create a desire for change in the school world, says Ulrika Dahlén, Head of Unit at the National Agency for Education in targeted efforts.